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There are many areas of research that are untapped in Islamic banking, and human capital is one of them. This paper aims to systematical review the relevant literature on human capital and Islamic banking.

The review process involved a structured search using well-established academic databases, Scopus and Web of Science, resulting in the selection of relevant articles. The paper has been divided into three major themes, besides other discussions on the literature, including methods of measuring human capital, determinants of human capital and human capital and performance of Islamic banks.

A few pioneering studies have explicitly examined human capital in the Islamic banking domain, while others have encompassed it under the broader umbrella of intellectual capital. The most common method of measuring human capital is accounting based, while few have adopted disclosure and survey methods as well. There are few studies that explored the determinants of human capital having focus on corporate governance, while many of the studies have explored the nexus of human capital and financial performance.

This review strongly highlights the need for more focused research on human capital within the Islamic banking sector. As Islamic banking necessitates unique human capital characteristics, it is essential to delve deeper into this aspect. Furthermore, there is a call to expand the human capital index by incorporating comprehensive aspects relevant to Islamic banking. An important area that requires further exploration is the role of Shariah governance in shaping human capital development within Islamic finance, understanding the reasons behind the observed negative correlation.

Despite its significance, the relationship between human capital and Islamic banking has received limited attention. This review paper not only addresses this gap but also lays the groundwork for future studies in this important and emerging field.

This study aims to investigate the impact of trust in the metaverse on the Islamic banking sector, particularly in facilitating market success. Additionally, it seeks to explore the relationship between metaverse-driven brand image, product features, service quality and overall performance in the market.

Data were collected from 187 participants in Jordan, with the SmartPLS software used to test the hypotheses.

The findings reveal a significant impact of metaverse-enhanced brand image, product features and service quality on Islamic banking market performance. Furthermore, customer trust in the metaverse plays a significant role in shaping the relationship between product features, service quality and Islamic banking market performance.

The study’s practical implications still suggest the need for a more holistic metaverse-driven approach. Investing in service quality initiatives alone may not adequately build and sustain customer trust in the metaverse. Instead, transparent communication on ethical practices in the metaverse is required to reinforce trust and magnify the positive influence of superior service quality in the metaverse.

This study aims to explore and analyze the issues in weightages-based profit distribution mechanism in Islamic banks from Shari’ah, practical and regulatory perspectives.

A qualitative research approach was used in this study based on primary data collected through semi-structured interviews from Shari’ah practitioners and senior industry experts in the field of pool management in the Islamic Financial Services Industry of Pakistan.

The current study found that the weightages-based mechanism conforms to the rules of Mudarabah and; therefore, permissible. However, the elements of exploitation, transparency and fairness require further research, as these elements seem to exist in this mechanism. It was also found that there are many loopholes in the regulatory guidelines for pool management in Islamic banking institutions (IBIs) in Pakistan resulting in practical issues.

The findings of this study may help improve pool management in IBIs, which in turn may cater the objections raised by academicians, customers and industry experts. Moreover, the alternative solution based on the findings of this study can be transformed into a proposal for regulators to take necessary actions against unfair profit distribution and issue further improved guidelines for IBIs in Pakistan.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, very limited studies have been conducted on pool management particularly with issues from different perspectives and alternative solutions have been suggested that may act as a proposal for IBIs as well as regulatory authorities.

The present study aims to evaluate the VBI strategies that have been implemented and to analyze the implementation challenges that BIMB has encountered.

A case study method was used to generate an in-depth and multi-faceted understanding of VBI strategy implementation in Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad (BIMB). A semi-structured in-depth interview was conducted with BIMB which is among of the earliest members of the VBI Community of Practitioners (CoPs). The data were transcribed and analyzed based on the content and thematic analyses.

This paper provides insights into how Islamic bank, i.e. BIMB, implement initiatives and strategies for adopting VBI based on the four underpinning principles. VBI is seen as a continuous strategy implementation of what has been practiced in BIMB, for instance, the Sadaqah House initiative introduced in 2018.

The primary limitation of the study is that it only focused on BIMB and does not represent the larger members of VBI CoPs among Islamic banks in Malaysia. A larger sample would have given more trustworthy results and could give better insights on the VBI implementation.

A good strategy implementation can be realized by generating a positive and sustainable economic, societal and environmental impact consistent with sustainable shareholder returns and long-term interests. The regulator should consider the policy implications of this study by strengthening the VBI and encouraging more Islamic and conventional banks to adopt it based on the findings.

The originality of this study is that it focuses on strategy implementation and the challenges facing Islamic bank toward VBI. It provides information on the implementation strategy of VBI in Islamic banks in Malaysia and facilitates other Islamic banking institutions, specifically future members of CoPs in creating a strong ethical foundation.

The study applies Erving Goffman's (1974) “frame analysis” principles to examine how Sharia governance is practiced in Islamic banks and explores the interaction and strategies adopted by bank managers to influence the decisions of Sharia scholars. The study also aims to identify inherent flaws in the Sharia compliance review system.

The study employs the principles of Goffman as a lens to critically analyse a rich dataset obtained through interviews undertaken with 46 key players operating in the governance framework of the Malaysian Islamic banking industry due to its progressive Islamic governance framework.

The study demonstrates that managers of Islamic banks may engage in “passing” and “covering” strategies while interacting within the governance structure. Concurrently, Sharia boards (SBs) implement “protective practices” during their interactions, adding complexity to their responsibilities within the banks. Consequently, SBs cannot merely be viewed as instruments for legitimising banking operations. This raises questions about the “impression management,” “concealment” and “competence” strategies employed by managers and SB members, as suggested by Goffman's framework. These findings indicate that there is room for further enhancement in the governance practices of Islamic banks.

Future research could explore aspects related to the governance of Islamic banks, such as investigating the independence and effectiveness of internal Sharia officers. Examining the strategies employed during their interactions with external Sharia boards and other stakeholders could provide further valuable insights.

By highlighting shortcomings in the governance and compliance review process, the findings could serve as a valuable resource for policymakers. The insights derived could inform the development of regulations aimed at reducing opportunistic behaviour and promoting accountability in the Islamic banking sector.

This study uniquely employs Goffman's concepts of “frontstage” and “backstage” strategies to offer insights into the interactions between Islamic bank managers and SBs and the impact of these interactions on Sharia compliance. The study contributes to the understanding of the dynamics between key players in the governance of Islamic banks and the factors influencing their adherence to Sharia principles.

This study aims to examine the role of religion on Indonesia’ Muslim consumers’ emotional bonding and loyalty.

The sample consists of 505 and structural equation modelling was used to confirm research hypotheses.

The results indicated that religion has a positive and significant effect on Muslim consumers’ emotional bonding; furthermore, emotional bonding play an important role in mediating the relationship between consumers’ religiosity and consumers’ loyalty.

Future research is required to confirm the validity of this study throughout the sector and among Muslim banking consumers.

Bank managers also promote their consumers as change agents to recommend their companies to others. It is also essential in strengthening the relationship between consumers and the companies.

This study provided the Muslim consumers’ loyalty standpoint, the study enlightened bank managers about consumers’ loyalty through religiosity and emotional bonding.

This paper aims to examine the determinants of the dividend distribution policy in a banking setting.

Using a sample of 48 Islamic banks and 94 conventional banks from 15 Islamic countries over a period spanning from 2012 to 2019, we document the effect of board gender diversity, executive director profile and governance mechanisms on dividend payment decisions. We also analyze the moderating effect of Islamic banks on the relationship between gender diversity and dividend policy.

We find new evidence on the role of women directors in determining dividend distribution policy and confirm the risk aversion hypothesis, hence contributing to the ongoing debate on gender diversity literature. Our results show that the moderating role of Islamic banks is effective only for small banks.

Our findings have practical implications for shareholders, managers and financial analysts as they suggest rationalizing dividend distribution strategies.

Our study contributes to the growing body of knowledge on dividend policy, gender diversity and Islamic banks.

A significant dilemma facing humankind in the present time is environmental degradation. To alleviate the pressure on natural resources, green banking (GB) has been acknowledged as an effective solution. However, creating consumer engagement is still challenging for banks. Hence, the purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of religiosity on GB adoption among Muslim consumers.

The deductive approach was used to explain how GB adoption is affected by the religiosity of the consumer. A total of 332 sample data were collected cross-sectionally from Islamic bank customers in the UAE. Partial least square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) via Smart PLS 4 was used to analyse the data. Five dimensions (i.e. ideological, ritualistic, intellectual, consequential and experimental) were used to measure religiosity which served as the independent variable. Customer intention to adopt GB represents the dependent variable.

The PLS-SEM results revealed that Islamic religiosity affects the adoption of GB among Muslim consumers. Indeed, their religious commitment and beliefs affect the products they intend to adopt and how they intend to do it.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is a pioneering study in the investigation of Islamic religiosity and its influence on the intention to adopt GB. This is a pioneering study in the sense that it proposes a comprehensive religiosity construct using five intertwined dimensions in the literature of GB. This study offers an improved and broader insight assessment of Islamic religiosity, which would help emphasise its significance and utility for business-related decisions by developing an emotionally-driven link between GB practices and the Muslim-oriented consumer market towards increasing the latter’s engagement.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the financial performance and stability of Islamic banks (IBs) in the Middle East, North Africa and Southeast Asia (MENASA) region.

The sample consists of 50 IBs across 13 MENASA countries. The data covers 11 quarters, starting in Q1 2019 and ending in Q3 2021, and are collected from banks’ quarterly reports. The authors proxy financial performance by three measures, namely, return on assets (ROA), return on equity (ROE) and cost-to-income (Cost/Income). For financial stability, the authors use two indicators: insolvency risk (log Z-score) and asset risk (ROA/SDROA). The methodology is based on the generalized least squares method estimation.

The results showed a significant and negative impact of COVID-19 on two performance measures of IBs (ROA and ROE) suggesting that IBs were significantly affected during the earlier pandemic. As well, the authors found strong evidence of the impact of COVID-19 on the insolvency risk and asset risk of the studied banks.

The study of COVID-19’s impact on the performance and stability of IBs in MENASA countries permits the banks’ regulators and policymakers to ameliorate the banks’ financial performance and reinforce their supervisory actions. Also, it gives them assistance to guarantee the financial stability of these banks in times of crisis.

This study provides significant financial information and policy implications for stakeholders involved in the banking sector in MENASA countries. Consequently, IBs must guarantee their profits and stability to ensure their competitiveness versus conventional banks during the period of crisis.

Despite being a Muslim-dominated country, Bangladesh has widely embraced traditional microfinance since its inception in the mid-1970s. However, Islamic microfinance, which has a lot to offer to the poor, is still in its infancy and has yet to gain momentum in the country. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to analyze the importance of Islamic microfinance and propose alternative Shariah-compliant microfinance models in Bangladesh.

This study is based on the desk research method, which relies on existing literature to collect secondary data on key concerns of traditional microfinance programs. In addition, institutional-level secondary data were also collected from the Microcredit Regulatory Authority (MRA) of Bangladesh. Guided by the Maqasid-al-Shariah, this study then proposes several Islamic microfinance models to overcome selected challenges faced by the microfinance industry in Bangladesh.

This study suggested three composite Shariah-compliant microfinance models, which are likely to help the underprivileged and thus ensure the achievement of the sustainable development goals in Bangladesh. The first model explained how the operational strategy of incumbent microfinance institutions (MFIs) could be restructured, while the second proposed the organizational strategies for establishing a new MFI. The third model used the notion of Sadaqah (charity) to address the multiple borrowing issues of the industry. Meanwhile, the successful transformation of the conventional microfinance industry to an Islamic one is dependent on the effective collaboration between the regulatory authorities, practitioners and MFIs.

Albeit the paucity of literature on the topic, the findings of this study will guide policymakers/practitioners in designing relevant microfinance models to help transform conventional microfinance into Islamic microfinance in Bangladesh.